vB Easy Archive - quick questions. please answer!!

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quick questions. please answer!!
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Posted by: jake_ryan1128

am on a family plan,
and i want the sidekick 3.
im a teenager (i can hear all the laughs, lol)
and my mom said she would buy it for me,
but i dont think she's going for the data plan
that goes on top of the voice plan.
so,
A) i read that you have to go through a registration process before doing anything on the sidekick 3, so will this even go through if i dont have the data plan?
B) can you buy a sidekick 3 without a data plan?
C) i have an unlimited text messaging feature, so will this work on the sidekick 3, or will it charge me for each text message? because ive heard that other internet and email plans wont work with the sidekick, so i was wondering if this is the case for text messaging.

please answer, and thanks a million!

Posted by: ladylime

I went through this with a friend, he bought a brand new Sidekick but just put the sim card in. It didn't work, and said you'd have to register. If it's a Sidekick that has already been used (meaning it already went through registration process with a previous owner with a sidekick data plan), I believe you can bypass the "registration" screen and just use it as a phone with your sim card. If you already have text messaging on your plan, it should work normally.

So the answer to your questions are:
A) Yes and no, see above.
B) Yes, you can purchase a Sidekick without a data plan. Why you would want to is beyond me.
C) Unlimited text messaging works like unlimited text messaging. No, you won't be charged for it, but you still won't have internet. You are correct that email and t-zone type plans will not work on Sidekick. You have to get the sidekick plan.

Hope that helps.

Posted by: ladylime

Oh I forgot, if you know a buddy with a sidekick data plan, just ask him to slip his sim card to the sidekick for a sec. His data should start trasnferring over, but BEFORE it does that, STOP it. Take out his sim card, put your sim card in and do a flash wipe, and it should bypass the registration screen.

Posted by: Purge

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladylime

Oh I forgot, if you know a buddy with a sidekick data plan, just ask him to slip his sim card to the sidekick for a sec. His data should start trasnferring over, but BEFORE it does that, STOP it. Take out his sim card, put your sim card in and do a flash wipe, and it should bypass the registration screen.

Dear Lord, please don't do that. First off... when he puts in his SIM Card, he'll need to sign onto the device... which will result in the device being locked onto his account. You won't be able to change the USERNAME and will have to call T-mobile to have the Device ID reset. Ladylime, see my post below to answer your questions and further education how the Sidekick (SK) devices operate/run.

Posted by: Purge

First off, the SK3 is an awesome device… you’re going to really enjoy it; as for having the SK3 and no Data Plan for it… almost a waste really. What’s the purpose of paying a $300 bill if you’re only going to us it as a standard phone? The Data Plan is an “Addon” that will only affect your line. In any case… I’ll help you with understanding how the SK’s work with and without Data Plans.

When you get the SK3 (or previous versions) it will remain on the “Waiting for Activation” screen because it’s looking for the Data Plan to become active on your account so it can make that connection. In your case, if you’re simply using the SK3 as a standard phone… you’ll always be stuck on the “Waiting for Activation” screen if you just leave it sit there. You can easily bypass this screen and use the phone by pressing MENU+L. This will take you to the JUMP Screen where you can Make/Receive calls.
Yes, you can buy a SK and you’re not required to purchase a Data Plan. If you were required, SmartAccess Customers wouldn’t be able to purchase the device since they’re not able to have Data Plans on their account.
You’re Unlimited Text Messaging (SMS) will work and cover you so you don’t accrue any SMS charges.

Now, for a few things that you didn’t ask that will be important to know if you choose not to get a Data Plan. The way SK’s work is they go through Danger’s server and uses their services. One kink in not having a Data Plan is that *EVERYTHING* saved on the SK device is saved onto Danger’s server… and for it to save anything to their server, you *NEED* the Data Plan to make the Data Connection.

Now… if you don’t have a Data Plan, everything saved to your SK is temporary. That being said, should you turn the device off, reboot, or it loses a charge and turns off… *EVERYTHING* on the SK is lost, because it wasn’t saved to Danger’s server. The only way around this is to save everything to your memory card, or sync the device to your computer and back up your information on a daily basis.

Posted by: ladylime

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purge

I'm just speaking from experience. It worked for us just fine. I called him and asked if the information wasn't transferred when he stopped it. It wasn't. He's since added the data plan and is using it just fine. /shrug

Don't have to get your panties in a bunch just cuz I succeeded in getting around the system, oh-great-master-lord-of-all-that-is-Sidekick. /rolls eyes

Posted by: Purge

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladylime

Reading your post about how to get past the registration screen makes no sense and unnecessary. All you have to do to get past the registration screen is press MENU+L. As for getting around the system... umm, ok.

BTW... I entered in the wrong name when I referred to the original poster.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purge

Ladylime, see my post below to answer your questions and further education how the Sidekick (SK) devices operate/run.

I meant to put Jake_Ryan. So don't get offended that I was trying to teach you the correct way, I was actually responding to Jake_Ryan's post.

Posted by: MediaGuru

Go to a T-Mobile store and tell them what you want. You can have a Sidekick inside a family plan, it just adds $20 to the line that has the Sidekick.

Posted by: ladylime

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purge

BTW... I entered in the wrong name when I referred to the original poster.

I meant to put Jake_Ryan. So don't get offended that I was trying to teach you the correct way, I was actually responding to Jake_Ryan's post.

Hey no problem PURGE. And also the Menu + L thing; I think it was a huge accomplishment for people not "in the know" that troll boards all day and already knew about the handy short-cut (since it doesn't say so in the manual). It was a longer way, but still another way for doing it. That's all that matters.